UN expert urges Sudan, S.Sudan to take actions on human rights
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September 20, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The human rights situation in Sudan
and the newly independent Republic of South Sudan is undermined by
curtailment of civil freedoms in the former and localized violence in
the latter, the UN Human Rights Council has been told.
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Amb. Francis Nazario (left) of South Sudan and Amb. Abdel Rahman
Dhirar of Sudan at the Human Rights Council (UN News Center)
Mohamed Chande Othman, the independent expert on the human rights
situation in Sudan, told the Geneva-based council on Tuesday that
Khartoum needs to reform the way in which its security apparatus
behave towards freedom of expression and political activists while
Juba needs to take concrete steps to protect civilians and address
impunity in conflict zones.
“The human rights situation in Sudan remains fraught with challenges,
particularly the full realization of political and civil rights,” he
said, citing concerns over freedom of expression, press censorship and
reports of people being held without charge for long periods.
Chande reiterated calls on the government of Sudan to reform the
National Security Service, including the current legal framework under
which it operates, so that it fully encompasses human rights
principles and the rule of law.”
In response, the representative of Sudan and its justice minister,
Mohamed Bushara Dosa, noted that his country was going through a
post-conflict period and taking actions to improve the human rights
situation.
Speaking about South Sudan, which gained independence in July this
year, Chande expressed concerns over the killing of civilians in
inter-communal violence, citing the example of last month’s death of
640 civilians in fighting between feuding tribes in Jonglei State.
“These long-standing patterns of localized violence are likely to
continue unless the Government of South Sudan takes concrete measures
to protect civilians and address the widespread impunity and lack of
accountability, the central cause of the conflict,” he warned.
He went on to call on the international community to provide
assistance to South Sudan which “has the opportunity to build a
democratic and prosperous country founded on the principles of the
rule of law and human rights.”
Reacting to his statement, South Sudan’s representative Francis
Nazario said that his country needs technical support and capacity
building in order to protect human rights and build national
institutions for this.
(ST)
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